Production of boron by electrolysis.



No. 785,962. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

J. A. LYONS & E. O. BROADWELL.

PRODUCTION OF BORON BY ELEOTROLYSIS. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 16, 1903.

.- lnvanl'ow/ C ltfozumy V UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. LYONS AND EDWARD C. BROADWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PRODUCTION OF BORON BY ELECTROLYSIS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters atent No. 785,962, dated March 28,1905.

Application filed September 16, 1903. Serial No. 173,387.

To all whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that we, JOHN A. LYONS and ED- WARD C. BRoADwELL, citizensof the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in theProduction of Boron by Electrolysis, of which the following is aspecification.

Our invention relates to electrolysis of metals; and the object ofourinvention is the production by such process of boron or metallicborids in conjunction with highly electropositive metals, such aspotassium, sodium, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, tungsten, uranium,and vanadium.

While we are aware that elemental boron has been attained by pureelectrolysis, it has not to our knowledge been contemporaneouslyproduced with the electropositive metals referred to. Our invention notonly consists of such contemporaneous reduction, but also of a reductionin which additional heat is employed to keep the metallic bath fused.

The means employed in carrying out our invention are illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, which is a vertical sectional view of anapparatus, the parts of which are designated by suitable letters ofreference, although we desire to here state that our invention does notrest upon any one form of reduction apparatus.

In the apparatus shown, A is a crucible; B, an external source of heat;C, an internal positive electrode, (the crucible forming the negative;)D, an interior graphite partition, and E the course of current.

In carrying out our invention the borates of these metals, either basicor neutral, in such proportion as to give any suitable alloy or anyamount if a single borate is electrolyzed and a single metal sought arewhile kept fused by an external heat of a temperature of, say, 1,100centigrade submitted to an electric current in such manner that while weget electrolysis we have great heating effect at the carbon positiveelectrode by making its surface many times smaller thanthe area of theinner surface of the retaining-crucible, which acts as the negativeelectrode. Between the positive electrode and the negative electrodethere is suspended a partition of graphite or other suitable infusibleor ,incorrodible material, which partition reaches from the cruciblecover to, say, one-half the distance to the bottom of crucible, and saidpartition is insulated electrically. During electrolysis the borates aredecomposed in such way as to eliminate the metal upon the inner surfaceof the crucible and the hypothetical ion or radical B407 or Bz'Oi isdeposited at the positive electrode, the carbon of which being kept toan incandescent heat by the current owing'to its relatively small areareduces the B204 or B401 to boron, carbon 1nonoxid gas being evolved.The partition serves to keep the boron from floating over to thecathode.

It will be seen that in our process the boron is not prod need by itselectrolytic deposit upon the anode, but upon the electrolysis of theborate the anion, boric anhydridthat is, the acid radical-brought to theanode with oxygen is produced, and then this is reduced chemically bythe intensely-heated carbon of the anode.

Bysu rrounding the carbon positive electrode with different metals theirborids can be obtained. If a borid of any metal is to be produced, itcan either be prepared by placing the metal around but not touching thecarbon anode, or preferably the pure borate of the metal the borate ofwhich is desired, or the pure borate of this metal fused with about anequal weight of the more fusible borate of a metal of more diflicultreducibility, such as calcium borate, may be placed in the apparatuswith the partition removed and then the bath electrolyzed, thus allowingthe reduced boron to float over to the cathode deposit and corrode it tothe borid of the deposited metal.

\Vhile we are aware elemental boron has been obtained by pureelectrolysis, it has not been. to the best of our knowledge,contemporaneously with the highly electropositive metals, and. moreover,our process is a hightemperature chemical reduction by carbon inconjunction with an electrolytic effect.

The bath may be kept in a fused state by any suitable application ofheat, the fire here shown being one form of means of accomplishing thisend; but the electric current employed we claim is may be sufiicientlystrong to maintain the state of fusion.

. Having thus described our invention, what 1. The process of subjectinga fused bath of the borates of electropositive metals to electrolyticaction and subjecting the anion produced thereby toa reducing action atthe anode which is maintained at an intense heat.

2. The process of producing boron from the borates of electropositivemetals, consisting in subjecting a fused bath of said borates toelectrolytic action establishing an incandescent heat at the anode andsubjecting the electrolyzed anion to a reducing action at the anode.

3. The process of producing boron from the borates of electropositivemetals which consists in subjecting the borate in a fused bath toelectrolytic action between a cathode, and an anode reductive of boricanhydrid, with a relatively great current density at the anode, wherebyan intense heat is generated at the anode and subjecting boric anhydridbrought to the anode to such heat whereby boron is produced.

4. The process of producing boron from the l borates of theelectropositive metals which I consists in subjecting a fused bath ofsaid borates to electrolytic action between a cathode and a carbon anodesubjected to an intense heat.

5. The process of producing boron from the 6. The process of producingboron which consists in subjecting a fused bath of the bo rate of anelectropositive metal to electrolytic action between a cathode and acarbon anode, with a relatively anode.

great current density at the In testimony whereof we have signed ournames to this specification, in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses, this 7th day of Sep- 5 O tember, 1903.

JOHN A. LYONS. EDWARD G. BROADXVELL. Witnesses:

MATTHEW MURPHY, LADIM'IR MoNDRY.

